On June 25, 1594, the London printer and publisher Richard Field (entered as "ffeild") transferred his rights to print Shakespeare's poem Venus and Adonis over to his colleague, John Harrison the Elder. The poem was entered as "Venus and Adonis" in Stationers' Liber B. Field had originally registered the poem on April 18, 1593, after which he printed the first and second quarto editions. Only one fragmentary copy of the third quarto is known to surrvive, and it does not include a title page, although scholars conjecture it was printed by Harrison in 1595, who printed also printed the fourth edition in 1596. Seventeen quarto editions were printed in total before 1641, and the poem's publishing rights in the Stationers' Register were transferred to several different tradesmen over the course of those years.

Liber B and the other registers with Shakespeare’s works are still kept by the Stationers’ Company in their archives.

Semi-diplomatic transcription

[This transcription is pending final vetting][Current transcription based on Arber; check back soon for a transcription that conforms to Shakespeare Documentedconventions]

Anno 1594 Regni Regine Eliz 36to 310

22do Die Junij

John Danter. Entred for his Copie vnder the hande of Mr Warden Cawood. a Ballad entytuled a most straunge and miraculous wonder that happened through lighteninge and thunder. which happened in Divers places in England. . . . vjd

25 JunijMr Harrison Entred for his copie in Court Sen. holden this day / a booke entituled. Orchestra. or a poeme of Daunsing . . . . . vjd

Mr Harrison Assigned ouer vnto him from Sen. Richard ffeild in open Court holden this Day a book called Venus and Adonis . . . vjd The which was before entred to Richard ffeild. 18. aprilis / 1593 /

25.Edmond bolyfant Alowed vnto them to prynt toand his partners the use of the Company, Dodoneus herball in all volumes and with pictures or without pictures paying alwaies vppon euery Impression vjd in the li to the use of the poore accordinge to the ordonnance in yat behalf . . . vjd

26. JunijJohn Wolf. Entred for his Copie vnder the hande of Mr Warden Cawood, a booke of Michaell de Renichon his aranment and execucon &c . . . vjd

John danter Entred for his copie vnder the handes of Mr Bynge, theis ballades followinge viz The newe married wyfes fayringe . . . vjd The Cuntrymans welcomme to Barthme fayre . . . vjd a maydes lamentacon for lack of a fayringe . . vjd The wofull spectacle of the iust Judgment of god shewed vppon a merchantes servant for his cruelty toward his owne master beinge in poverty

SourcesEdward Arber, ed., A Transcript of the Registers of the Company of Stationers of London: 1554–1640 A.D. 5 vols. (London: privately printed, 1875–94): 2:655.

The British Library, "2. William Shakespeare's poems and sonnets." Rev. 1.0.1. Treasures in Full: Shakespeare in Quarto. Last modified December 2, 2004. <bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/poems.html>.